


No Boundaries

by novocaine_sea



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Asexual Character, Background Relationships, Canon Compliant, Coming Out, Crushes, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 10:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18826765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novocaine_sea/pseuds/novocaine_sea
Summary: In all their years of knowing each other (and there were many), Konoha thought this was the first time he couldn’t go to Komi about a problem in his life. Because his problem was Komi-sized, and even had a name-tag saying “Komi Haruki” slapped onto it. Konoha should’ve seen this coming, really. You spend all your time with one person and you’re bound to catch feelings.





	No Boundaries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lollipop_Panda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lollipop_Panda/gifts).



> Happy birthday Panda!!!!!! I love you so freakin much, thank you for being one of the warmest, kindest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I'm so lucky to call you a friend and the other half of our collective brain! It's all up from here, my dear! I hope you don't mind, I stole a bunch of your head canons and mushed them into one fic ;)
> 
> Thank you to [Ness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BnessZ/pseuds/BnessZ) for reading this over for me!

Konoha wasn’t sure when he started having feelings for Komi, but then again, their relationship had always blurred the lines between platonic and romantic. They were closer than close, the very definition of best friends, with no boundaries in between them. Whenever there was a problem, the only person they could trust was each other.

In all their years of knowing each other (and there were many), Konoha thought this was the first time he couldn’t go to Komi about a problem in his life. Because his problem was Komi-sized, and even had a name-tag saying “Komi Haruki” slapped onto it. Konoha should’ve seen this coming, really. You spend all your time with one person and you’re bound to catch feelings.

If Konoha absolutely had to pick a moment when he realized that his best friend gave him butterflies, he’d probably pick the day he’d gotten a haircut.

After weeks of lots of tearful begging, Konoha had finally gotten his mother to agree to cut his hair. He never trusted anybody besides his mother with a pair of scissors near his head and if he wanted to cut most of his hair off, he was going to have to get her on board. His mother was quite attached to his hair, always running her fingers through the long blonde locks whenever Konoha was around her. Konoha hated it. It was one of the many reminders of somebody he didn’t identify with.

All he wanted was to look in the mirror and like what he saw. Something as simple as a haircut could change that.

He had specifically told Komi that he didn’t want him there when his mother cut his hair. Having Komi around made things easier, but in case Konoha didn’t like it, he didn’t want Komi to see his initial reaction.

“Are you sure about this?” Himari asked as she looked at her son in the mirror.

Konoha straightened and stared at her, the two sets of eyes identical in aquamarine. “Yeah. Please.”

Himari took a deep breath and collected his hair in her hands, looking at the strands forlornly, “It’s so beautiful, Aki-”

“ _Please_ ,” Konoha sounded strained. He didn’t want to hear that name. He just wanted his mother to get on with it. A sigh sounded from behind him and his hair fell down his back once more. He thought he could hear his mother mumble _‘Fine_ ’ to herself but it could’ve been his imagination.

What he did hear was the snipping sound from the scissors as it cut through his hair. It was deafening, the sound, and it mimicked his heart beating out of control in his chest. He watched in disbelief as he transformed before his eyes, reflection slowly becoming one of awe as the length got shorter, and shorter, and shorter. He wanted to reach up and touch, he wanted to _move_ to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming, that this was really happening. However, Konoha sat still, barely breathing, as a stranger stared back at him.

“Your hair hasn’t been this short since you were born,” his mother reminded him when she ran a comb through it, looking for loose strands and any stray clumps of cut hair that were hanging on. Their bathroom floor was littered with Konoha’s hair, as if they’d just shaved the cat.

“Alright,” Himari finally exhaled, sounding a little heartbroken as nimble fingers carded through his hair. She placed the scissors down, indicating that she was finally done after one last _snip!_ Konoha’s eyes finally welled with tears as he reached up to tug harshly at it, the pain tingling through his skull, all the proof he needed that this was _him_. The person in the mirror was him.

“I love it,” Konoha whispered. He cleared his throat and looked up at Himari, “I love it, thank you.” He hugged her tight around the middle and Himari only sighed, not saying a word as she picked at his hair. Konoha couldn’t find it in him to be annoyed or angry at her reaction. This is what he’d wanted for a long time, whether his mother or father approved of it or not. (Though he wasn’t particularly looking forward to his father’s reaction).

He got up and raced from the bathroom to his bedroom, grabbing his phone to text Komi to come over. Komi was, of course on standby, waiting to hear from Konoha and announcing immediately that he was on his way. Komi didn’t live very far and Konoha sat (im)patiently on the edge of his bed, crossing and uncrossing his legs, reaching up to tug on his hair to make sure it was still short and boyish. He smiled when his fingers slipped through the locks almost instantly instead of tugging for miles.

Heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs of his home and Konoha braced himself for Komi’s reaction, the only approval he needed being from his best friend. His fingers curled around the edge of the mattress as Komi rounded the frame of his door, big smile in face. However, Komi faltered and paused where he stood in the middle of Konoha’s bedroom, staring in awe at his best friend.

“What do you think?” Konoha asked timidly, a little worried that Komi didn’t like it. When the silence become prolonged, Konoha’s breathing sped up waiting for a response. _Oh no, he hates it, what have I done, maybe he’ll never speak to me now that I really do look like a boy-_

“Lookachu!” Komi burst into laughter and he came over to sit beside him, pulling Konoha into a headlock and ruffling his hair. “I can do this now and it barely messes up a thing!”

Konoha squawked and tried to pull from his grip, but a smile was painted on his face. _He doesn’t hate it, he doesn’t hate it, he doesn’t hate it_ -

Komi finally released him and forced Konoha to look at him, taking him all in. Konoha squirmed a little under the scrutiny of his gaze, still uncomfortable with being gazed at so intensely. Komi smoothed out the tufts of hair that were sticking up because of his nuzzling and Konoha could feel his fingers shaking against his scalp.

“Do you like it?” Komi breathed out, almost like a secret.

“I love it,” the smile was evident in his voice, and if Komi hadn’t been looking at him he would’ve heard it. The tears that Konoha had been holding in finally spilled over his cheeks and he leaned forward to press his forehead to Komi’s shoulder, “I love it so much. I finally... I’m a boy....” He choked on the words as he said them out loud.

“You’ve always been a boy,” Komi curled his arms around him and squeezed him tight. He repeated his words quietly and Konoha’s breath hitched as Komi did, butterflies erupting in his stomach. _What the hell? When had Komi handled me so delicately? When had he spoken to me so softly_?

Konoha remembered the night he’d come out to him, forcing Komi to come over in the middle of the night to hold him as he cried. It was scary, speaking into existence what he’d held in for as long as he could remember. This moment right now, however, seemed more intimate, more permanent of a memory that Konoha would hold on forever. He pulled back to see big brown eyes staring at him in awe but so full of joy for Konoha that it made him flush deeply.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. No more crying,” Komi thumbed the tears off of Konoha’s cheeks and goosebumps followed the movement, Konoha shivering in delight. Had Komi always been so caring? Well, that answer was given. But had he always been so _cute_? Probably. Maybe. Konoha had no idea. He’d never given it a thought before.

And of course now that the thought had invaded his brain and planted itself there, it didn’t seem to want to leave. The rest of their middle school days were spent fumbling around these emotions, trying to push them away before they grew into something more. But Konoha just couldn’t ignore the way his heart skipped a beat whenever Komi brushed against him, how he was aware of every single particle touching when they laid in bed together reading manga or doing homework. Konoha was hyper-aware of everything.

Going to Fukurodani somehow made things better and so much worse.

For the first time, Konoha was listed as a male student instead of female, and he stood looking at himself in the mirror for a long time when he got his uniform. Komi was of course there because Komi was _always_ there and Konoha wouldn’t have it any other way. Konoha admired himself in the mirror, turning this way and that, tugging on blazer to make sure it fit right.

“Does it look okay? Does it look too... baggy? Too tight?” Konoha couldn’t decide if it fit him just right or not at all.

Komi placed his hand on his chin and gave Konoha a once over, something that made him fidget awkwardly. He’d become aware of every single time that Komi had his eyes on him, which was becoming more and more frequent now that he was presenting more as a boy. There was even a small blush on Komi’s cheeks as he looked over Konoha, assessing him.

“Nah, I think it looks great on you,” his answer was honest and it made Konoha duck his head and turn back to his reflection in the mirror, picking at the dress shirt and tie. It was strange to appear flat in the mirror when he turned sideways. And if there was a shadow of a curve, the jacket would thankfully cover it.

“Thanks for being here for me, Haruki,” Konoha mumbled, glancing at him in the mirror. Komi came up behind him and hooked his chin over Konoha’s shoulder from behind, the two of them being the same height. Komi jabbed him in the side and Konoha squeaked, pouting and rubbing the spot that was now throbbing.

“I’ll always be here for you, no need to thank me. Now come on, we’re gonna be late if we don’t get a move on.” Komi’s warmth left his back and Konoha was suddenly alone in his room, looking at his reflection in mirror. He broke out into a grin, still unused to seeing himself without hair clips and just looking entirely masculine. This was what he was going to look like for the rest of his life though, and he was going to be much happier because of it.

“Welcome to high school, Konoha Akinori,” he told himself before he followed Komi out of the house. He resisted the immediate urge to lace his and Komi’s fingers together, wondering where that had come from. It’s not like they hadn’t held hands before but Konoha’s pretty sure the last time they did was when they were nine or ten, when it was still “acceptable.” Not that anything was weird for the two of them, but by society’s standards...

The first week of their first year, Konoha was on cloud nine. Though he and Komi weren’t in the same class, he got to see him at lunch and then at volleyball practice. He’d never been on the boys team with Komi before, so that alone was enough to make him break down and cry when they were accepted into the club. Komi pat him on the back, beaming with pride and Konoha swore there were tears in Komi’s big brown eyes.

As the year progressed slowly, Konoha fell into the routine of class and volleyball practice and walking home with Komi, joined by Sarukui Yamato midway through the year. Sarukui was a fellow wing spiker and added a new dynamic to their friendship, but it wasn’t unwelcome. He was just as snarky as Komi and Konoha, so he fit right in. Konoha enjoyed his company, along with the two other first years on the team, Bokuto Koutarou and Washio Tatsuki. Bokuto was loud and exuberant and it was hard to match his energy, but Washio’s quiet and stoic demeanor was a good match for him.

Konoha thought they made a well-rounded team of first years. And it was fun practicing with them, even if Bokuto wanted to stay way after practice was over. Konoha was the only one who could set to him decently enough so he was stuck with that duty, and Komi always stayed late with him to receive each spike. It was fun, even if Konoha sweat more than he’d like to.

Konoha wasn’t the only one who had changed since coming to Fukurodani, though. He’d been so focused on his long-desired identity, that he didn’t realize Komi changing right before his eyes. Sometimes it was hard to pinpoint changes when you spend every waking moment with somebody.

They were in the locker room, changing into their practice clothes to start practice, when Konoha did a double take in Komi’s direction. The latter’s back was to him but he was _shirtless_ and was it natural for a fourteen year old to be that muscular? When had that happened?

“Might wanna pick your jaw off the floor,” Sarukui’s voice appeared in his ear as he passed, grinning at Konoha before leaving entirely. Konoha bristled and shook himself from his obvious staring. He had so many questions but the first one that was filtering through his brain was _can I touch you_?

Komi turned back to him just as Konoha had finally closed his mouth, giving him a questioning look, “You okay? You look a little pale?”

 _Oh no, oh no, he’s still shirtless,_ why _hasn’t he put a shirt on yet, please, have mercy-_

“Yup!” Konoha squeaked and now that everybody was gone he stripped his shirt off and tugged it on quickly, ignoring the looks Komi was giving him. “See ya out there!” He sped out of the locker room, feeling lightheaded. Komi was _ripped_. What the hell!? Konoha was sure he would’ve caught onto Komi bulking up.

Needless to say, practice didn’t go well. Somehow he’d caught on to every single moment that Komi received the ball, muscles rippling under the thin shirt he was wearing. Konoha didn’t remember the shirt ever being so tight. Komi used to be scrawny. Konoha felt like he was going to hell for ogling his best friend.

If he wasn’t hyper-aware of Komi before, Konoha definitely was now. Every little thing Komi did was ingrained into Konoha’s mind. It made him anxious. Shouldn’t it be illegal to catch feelings for your best friend? He wasn’t even sure if these were feelings. Maybe it was infatuation. Maybe he was just really into Komi’s muscles.

(Most of the time, however, Konoha daydreamed of laying in the grass holding Komi’s hand and looking at the clouds. Or cuddling up next to him in bed while they watched videos on one of their phones. They did this already, but Konoha wanted the liberty of leaning in and kissing Komi’s cheeks. He had quite the babyface. If that didn’t spell feelings, Konoha didn’t know what would.)

Their entire first year was like this. Konoha watched Komi bulk up even more and he pined so hard. He even made excuses to remain on opposite sides of the bed when they were studying, or insisting that Komi sleep in his bed and him on the floor when Komi slept over.

“We’re too big now to fit in the bed,” Konoha explained weakly, as if they hadn’t shared the bed only weeks before they came to high school.

“You’ve been acting strange lately, you okay?” Komi asked right after that. Konoha waved his hands frantically and _insisted_ that he was perfectly fine.

He was anything but fine. Komi’s mere presence made Konoha’s mouth go dry and his heart pound. He felt like he couldn’t even talk to his best friend anymore, always worried about his big fat crush spilling from his lips. Konoha was a great secret-keeper, but Komi knew him a little too well. Komi knew him like the back of his hand, knew all his ticks, knew every little detail.

Their second year was when everything crumbled before him. Konoha accredited it to their new first year teammate, Akaashi Keiji. Akaashi entered their team like a whirlwind, with his strange diction and subtle fidgety habits that Konoha found endearing. It was almost a relief as well; Bokuto now had a proper setter to stay late with him and Konoha could sweat an appropriate amount now instead of half his body weight. He did stay sometimes still, but most of the time he let Akaashi deal with Bokuto. The underclassmen liked spending gross amounts of time with the future ace. Konoha didn’t understand.

Akaashi was also too observant for his own good. Konoha thought he was finally getting these... feelings under control. There were still snarky remarks from Sarukui, such as, “You’ll get him one day, buddy,” with a gently pat on the back that always left Konoha’s heart racing. He still hadn’t told his friends about the secret he hid beneath his shirt, but he knew not all people were as supportive and accepting as Komi. Though his friends were good people and they’d accept him no matter what.

“Konoha-san?” Akaashi came up to him one day after practice. Komi was lingering nearby in earshot and Konoha slipped him a glance before giving Akaashi his full attention.

“What’s up?”

Akaashi cast his eyes downward and fiddled with his fingers, chewing his lip. Konoha raised an eyebrow, not used to seeing Akaashi so... nervous.

“I was wondering if maybe you could give me some... relationship advice.”

Konoha tucked the volleyball he’d been holding under his arm, “Relationship advice? Why me? Saru’s the one in a relationship.” He jabbed his thumb in Sarukui’s direction. Somehow that bastard had convinced their second year manager, Yukie, to date him. Or, it was most likely the other way around. They were cute. Konoha was a little jealous.

Akaashi blinked. He squinted and Konoha pulled back slightly, still confused.

“Are you and Komi-san not together?”

A spitting sound came from behind Konoha that sounded suspiciously like Komi and he himself stood ramrod straight, slowly turning bright red from the tips of his ears and down his neck, the volleyball falling from his grip. “What? Haruki and I? Together? Heh! You’ve got to be kidding me!” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and looked anywhere but at Akaashi. He was thankful that Komi was standing behind him and not in his peripheral vision.

 _Fuck,_ what had he done to make it seem like he and Komi were together? _Romantically_ . Sure they were close and they were kind of handsy but... they’ve known each other for years! They were just friends. _Best friends_ , nothing more.

(Even though Konoha was desperately hoping for something more).

“Well, I’m gonna go get changed! Can’t stick around tonight,” he laughed slightly before exiting the gym, barely getting his outdoor shoes on before sprinting to the locker room, ignoring the confining sports bra he’d subjected himself to. Once in there he stripped himself free of the sports bra and back into his binder, struggling to get his shirt and pants back on. He ignored the racing of his heart and the pit in his gut telling him that Komi was going to follow him.

“Akinori-” Komi’s voice sounded behind him and Konoha was just collecting his bag, shoving past him.

“Gotta go! Can’t talk!” He squeaked out and didn’t meet his gaze, not being able to face him. Would Komi know he had feelings for him? His reaction to Akaashi’s question hadn’t been exactly subtle.

God damn Akaashi.

“Wait up, I’ll at least walk you home!” Komi called after Konoha’s retreating figure.

“No really, you don’t have to! I’ll, um, text you!” Konoha moved out of earshot and continued to walk as fast as his legs could take him. His lungs protested, his pace too much for his ribs to handle when squeezed by the pressure of the binder.

Tears blurred Konoha’s vision as he sped towards his house, avoiding his mother as he came inside and flopped onto his bed. Molten spilled down his cheeks as he reached under to release his ribs from their prison, sucking in gasps of air and pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. He was so frustrated. He wished he’d handled things better and now things were going to be weird around Komi, the person he trusted more than anybody else in his life, and it was all his fault.

Konoha turned his phone off. He didn’t want to deal with Komi’s pressing questions. He couldn’t even imagine how Komi felt, with how vehemently Konoha denied wanting anything to do with him romantically.

It was a restless night for Konoha. But he met up with Komi in the morning to walk to school and Komi only asked if he was alright before changing the subject. There was no going into detail about what had happened with Akaashi, no asking how he felt about it. Konoha was relieved but a little suspicious. He wanted to ask how Komi felt but didn’t want to bring it up again so he just let it go.

But Konoha still thought about it every single day over the course of the next few months. He was growing increasingly anxious over his feelings, not sure how he was supposed to act without coming out and word vomiting how he felt. So he just held it inside.

However, like a balloon with too much air, he was bound to pop.

He made it all the way to winter of his second year before that happened. Everyday he got closer and closer and then. It just happened.

They were lounging on Konoha’s bed doing homework. Komi was on his stomach, legs swinging in the air behind him while Konoha had his knees propped, notebook lying against his thighs as he scribbled in it. He was hyper aware of Komi lying beside him and the inches of space between them. He could reach out and touch Komi’s strong calves if he really wanted (and trust that he did want to). It was the first time in a while that he’d allowed them to be this close in his bedroom, having given in to a little temptation.

“Let’s do something else,” Komi suggested with a groan, throwing down his pen. Konoha looked over his knees and his breath got stuck in his throat as he watched Komi roll onto his back. The latter had the habit of untucking his shirt from his pants as soon as they were out of school and now as he stretched his arms above his head, a small sliver of skin was exposed. Konoha could practically see the muscles rippling, could see the outline of cut abs. It was too much and he was a weak, weak man.

“Like what? We have assignments.” Konoha tried to keep his voice steady, but to add insult to injury Komi folded his fingers behind his head. It seemed as if his shirt was permanently lifted. The longer it remained that way, the faster Konoha’s self-control slipped away.

“I finished all of my daily homework, I’m not sure about you,” a grin graced Komi’s face, one that was sly and cheeky. It was the last straw, the last snapped string holding together Konoha’s sanity. He tossed his notebook to the side and grabbed a hold of Komi’s shirt, practically smashing their lips together. It was ungraceful and considering they were sitting or laying in opposite directions, the angle was all wrong. Konoha couldn’t focus on the softness of Komi’s lips because his teeth were digging into his own lip painfully.

Hands found his upper arms and struggled to push him away, leaving the two of them gasping for air. Komi looked more perplexed than anything, which gave Konoha a little bit of hope he hadn’t completely pissed him off. He didn’t even know if Komi liked guys. He wasn’t even sure if Komi liked _romance_. It was never a frequent topic between the two of them.

“I’m sorry,” Konoha blurted once he’d gained control of his breathing, though his heart was still racing incredibly fast. He had just kissed his best friend. With no warning. All because Komi was showing a sliver of skin. Konoha groaned inwardly; he was a disappointment to himself.

Komi was staring at him now with eyes impossibly wide, looking a little wild. Konoha shrunk into himself a bit, unsure how to take that. Usually Komi had a lot to say to, so to see him completely speechless was worrisome. The longer they sat in silence, the longer Konoha’s anxiety stewed, and the more he wanted to vomit out a slew of apologies.

“Aki-”

“I’m sorry!” Konoha buried his burning face in his hands. His voice was strained, close to tears now at just the sound of Komi’s face. He was such an idiot.

There was shifting on the mattress and strong hands grasping his wrists, gently peeling his fingers away from his face. Komi swam into view before he got too close and blurry, their lips pressed together once more. Konoha’s breath hitched; this time, the kiss was slow, a slight touch of lips. It wasn’t painful, there were no teeth or harsh movements, just gentle caresses of lips on lips, as soft as petals.

“If you were gonna kiss me,” Komi began as he pulled back, smirk slowly making its way to his face, “you should do it properly.”

“I-! Um! Ha...”

Konoha’s face grew darker, if possible, and he looked away. A soft chuckle filled the room and Komi scooted to sit beside him, leaning back against the wall as Konoha was.

“You’re... not mad?” Konoha asked meekly, glancing at him from the corner of his eye before returning to hiding his face, this time in his knees as he cradles them to his chest.

“Why would I be mad?”

“I kissed you!” Konoha groaned and tugged at his hair. Komi touched his wrist again, indicating him to stop and Konoha exhaled slowly, trying to calm down again. This was too much all at once.

“Yeah, and you’ve been acting really weird lately, so this explains all of that. You could’ve just told me, you know.”

“Oh, yeah, sure. ‘Hey Haruki, your receives in practice today were really great! By the way, I’m in love with you.’ Really smooth.”

Komi chuckled again, shaking his head and propping his elbow up on Konoha’s shoulder, “Maybe not like that. But it’s nice to know you’re _in love_ with me.”

Konoha whined and curled into himself more, though this time he turned and burrowed into Komi’s chest, feeling much safer and comfortable there. And if he could feel his pecs beneath his chest then that was just an added bonus.

Silence ensued for a bit as the both of them processed everything. Komi seemed to be taking everything well, and was almost casual about the whole thing. Konoha really should have saw that coming, should have known that Komi wouldn’t make a big deal about it or turn on him.

“Wait!” Konoha shot up, barely missing slamming his head into Komi’s chin, thankful for his best friend’s fast reflexes. “You kissed me!” He pointed an accusatory finger at Komi.

Komi looked bored, “Yeah...?”

“Well! That means... you! You... li...”

“I like you...” Komi enunciated slowly for him, grin turning teasing. “Like I said, not bothered by the fact that you like me. We’re practically dating anyway, so it’s not a big deal. Now we can just actually say we are.”

Konoha sputtered, “What does that mean?”

Komi shrugged, “We spend all our time together. We lean on each other at practice. We hold hands sometimes. No wonder Akaashi thought we were dating.”

Konoha squeaked as he was reminded of that awful moment, cursing Akaashi silently for bringing his feelings to the surface even more. Though he should probably thank him too, considering he hadn’t really confronted his feelings until the moment Akaashi had voiced his mistake.

A rich chuckle filled the room and Komi clapped him on the back almost painful, the tightness of Konoha’s binder making him wheeze out. “That was cute, by the way, how you stuttered.”

Konoha felt warm all over again, “Shut up...” He murmured without any malice, leaning back into Komi comfortably. Everything felt normal, which made Konoha extremely suspicious. He expected his confession to include him crying and also being rejected. Konoha almost would have preferred that, because now he had to figure out how to be somebody’s boyfriend. But Komi had a point, right? They already acted like they were dating, so hopefully not much would change. There would just be a lot more kissing, which Konoha was _definitely_ looking forward to.

And nothing _did_ change, as predicted. They still walked to school together every morning, the backs of their hands brushing together more frequently than before. They ate lunch together every day still, though Konoha would lay his head in Komi’s lap if they were on the roof, or drag a chair as close as possible when in the classroom. Sarukui and Yukie caught on really fast to their budding relationship, their smirks almost identical when they confronted the two.

“I knew you two would figure it out,” Sarukui told him, which earned a shove from Komi. It had taken them longer than it probably should have to figure it out, but better late than never, right? Besides, Konoha had much more pressing things in his life to deal with first, like his coming out, before he wanted to tackle romance.

Once climbing these hurdles, there was one last thing they had to take care of. It was a natural progression, something that Konoha hadn’t even thought about until the subject floated to the surface.

The snow melted and the cherry blossoms bloomed overhead, raining pink petals. They’d started their third year of high school stronger than ever before, getting used to their newfound label. As the two of made their way to Konoha’s house, Komi had plucked a flower from the tree and stuck it into Konoha’s hair. His parents were the least likely to be home, so it was easier to go there. Not that Komi had a problem with Konoha’s parents, it was just easier to fool around when they weren’t there.

“How come you don’t get a flower?” Konoha asked, cheeks as pink as the petals as he reaches up to touch it while unlocking his front door. Komi grinned and followed him inside, kicking his shoes off.

“It doesn’t look as good on me.”

Konoha rolled his eyes and pushed him towards the stairs, dropping his bag to the floor as they get to his room. They were drawn to each other magnetically as they got on the bed, lips pressing together with practiced precision. There was a hint of a smile in there from both parties, the only sound filling the room being the gentle smack of lips and sighs of content.

They barely parted for air as they shifted against each other, chests pressed together. Konoha felt a little self conscious about it, but it was just Komi, there was no judgement from him. He’d already unzipped his binder under his shirt, giving himself room to breathe without wheezing. The kiss was distracting enough for Konoha to forget for brief moments, Komi’s fingers massaging into his lower back, Konoha’s fingers in tufts of caramel hair.

Their shifting had brought Konoha’s thigh between Komi’s legs, pressing to his crotch perfectly. He would be dumb to ignore the feeling there and gave a tentative rock of his hips against Komi’s thigh, which was between his own legs. They had never talked about taking their relationship further, and in all honesty Konoha didn’t mind. He still wasn’t comfortable being completely naked around his boyfriend, the thought sending a shockwave of nausea through his body. But he wouldn’t mind some innocent frottage. He was just as much of a horny teenage boy as the rest of them.

A tease of tongue touched Konoha’s lip in response to the rocking of his body and he kept it up, fingers tightening in Komi’s hair. He lost himself in Komi’s tongue and the strong hands on his back, a new feeling he never wanted to let go of.

He lost himself a little too much, however, and Komi gently pulled back from him, face pinched. Konoha immediately thought he did something wrong and shuffled backwards, letting Komi get comfortable.

“I’m... sorry...?” Konoha tried tentatively, unsure what he was apologizing for, but having an overwhelming _need_ to say sorry.

Komi shook his head and cupped his hands in his lap, partially to play with his fingers and partially to cover up the obvious bulge in his pants. Konoha felt a surgance of pride, knowing he was affected similar but it wasn’t easily. However, the guilt overwhelmed the pride and he searched Komi’s face, trying to discern his feelings.

“Haru-”

“I gotta tell you something,” Komi interrupted him, looking off to the side. It was rare to see Komi so... bashful, and Konoha wanted to soak it all up. He wished it was under better circumstances, however.

“Okay...”

With a heavy exhale, brown eyes met hazel, conflict apparent in them. “I consider myself to be... ace.”

Konoha blinked. If he was honest, he had no idea what that meant. He only tilted his head to the side, prompting Komi to elaborate, not wanting to outshine him.

“Ace. Asexual. I’m not... I don’t ever see myself, you know... having sex. The thought of it kind of makes my skin crawl. And it’s not because of you, I mean, I clearly think you’re something else,” Komi huffed a laugh, making Konoha crack a smile before he continued, “I’ve kind of known or a while that it’s just not for me. Maybe someday we can try some things, but right now, I’d rather... not.” His shoulders slumped, as if Atlas himself had lifted the world from them.

Konoha licked his lips as he processed all of what Komi had said. Konoha had seen them going all the way at some point, in the very distant future when Konoha was comfortable with his own body and mind.

“I appreciate you telling me.” Konoha nudged him with knee at last and Komi nodded solemnly, having taken Konoha’s prolonged silence as negative. “Sex isn’t everything. I hadn’t even thought about it until like... right now when we were making out.” One eyebrow raised and Konoha pouted at him, holding his hands up in defense, “Honestly!”

Komi snickered and opened his arms up for Konoha to collapse into, the blonde burrowing into his neck comfortably. “Thank you...” He murmured.

“You accepted me, so I accepted you. I’d accept you even if you didn’t accept me. Because... Because I love you, Haruki. And I just want you to be as comfortable as you make me.”

Komi’s breath hitched. Konoha could feel Komi’s heartbeat accelerate under his hand and he smiled a little, looking up to see Komi turning red.

“Jeez...” Komi rolled his shoulders, clearly still not used to this much affection. It made Konoha laugh and press a gentle kiss to his cheek.

“I love you, too.” Komi finally responded, voice small, only for Konoha in this moment. Konoha’s smile rivaled the sun and he tightened his arms around him.

Konoha wanted to ask more questions about Komi’s sexuality, but it didn’t feel right. This moment felt serene, complete. And he knew how difficult it was for Komi to be vulnerable, not one to wear his heart on his sleeve. Konoha respected that more than anything.

Konoha could have never predicted falling in love with his best friend was exactly what he needed. He had been scared and an anxious mess, and on top of his identity, it did nothing to help him. He felt so lucky to have somebody that he could be completely open with, and who was completely open with him. There were no secrets between them, just trust and love and any little thing in between.

**Author's Note:**

> Talk Fukurodani to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/novocaine_sea)


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